Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to radio-frequency identification (RFID) and, more specifically but not exclusively, to systems for locating RFID-tagged objects.
Description of the Related Art
This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the invention. Accordingly, the statements of this section are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is prior art or what is not prior art.
Tens of millions of new biological samples are being collected and stored annually in a variety of settings including clinical trials at pharmaceutical companies, universities, and hospitals, diagnostic testing and research, forensic samples from crime or disaster scenes, databases of criminal populations, national genetic data bases, genetic studies, etc. Many of these samples are stored in biobanks at ultra low temperatures.
Today, tracking these samples requires meticulous record keeping. If samples are spilled, then they have to be replaced in their former location or a recording has to be made of where they are. Either process takes time and inevitably warms the samples causing degradation. In addition, samples that are misplaced are difficult or impossible to locate.
In some settings, such as those that deal with dangerous samples or in the case of forensic evidence, all samples must be accounted for at all times. Therefore, inventories are carried out on a regular basis. Performing inventories by hand can be very costly. In addition, some samples can be very expensive or impossible to replace.